The vision of Norway is now to be the aspiration of the world, albeit with the understanding that in the era of cap-and-trade someone will still buy Norway’s oil to power their carbon-foot-printing cars, and its timber for their ungreen homes, and still offer icky planes, rockets, nukes, and carriers to ensure Norway is safe in a fashion that it was not sixty five years ago. Quisling is still its chief loan word to the English Language.
It’s Your Surge, Mr. President
OK, Mr. President, here’s your call. Your former bad, optional, get out by March 2008, unnecessary, “the surge in not working” war in Iraq is, mirabile dictu, about over. It’s quiet; fewer soldiers are dying there per month than die on average from illness or accident elsewhere in non-combat theaters.
But the defeated enemy has now refocused its attention on your good, necessary, must win war–one that you praised all during the campaign. Yet, Dr. Zawahiri senses hesitation among us the winners, and renewed zeal among his legions of losers. He wants to recoup the tarnished brand of radical Islam, and even up the score, by taking Kabul for losing Baghdad.
You recently announced that your new strategy was “finalized”, and, indeed, proved that by appointing your man in Kabul, General McChrystal. Now both your strategy and your team are in place, but need more troops to do in Afghanistan what we accomplished in Iraq. Your hot pursuing into Pakistan likewise would require additional reserves.
Still, the call is much easier for you than what faced the evil Bush: a) your Republican opposition is mostly on your side, not demonizing your general as a traitor (cf. General Betray Us) as the left once did in 2006-7; (b) your polls (50%) are higher than those of Bush in late 2006 (35-40%); you are coming off an incredible victory in Iraq, Bush was facing two ongoing wars, which were being written off by the pundits who used to chest-thump for both; and (c) the American people are more likely to support escalation (ca. 45%) than they once did the surge (ca. 30%). (I know that, since I have never gotten more hate mail than in late 2006 / early 2007 for politely suggesting the surge was necessary, would work, and would save lives, both ours and Iraqis.)
But can Noble Peace laureates still escalate in the short term to win a war, save thousands of Afghan lives from a Taliban take-over and ensure that “evil-doers” do not plan another 9/11 from safe havens? Will you—or tiny Norway—determine U.S. foreign policy? Is the medal around your neck a shiny medallion of honor or an albatross sent from a wily bestower?
Some of us had doubts about your ‘let me at ‘em’ stump speeches, and ‘go into Pakistan’ tough talk in 2008. I felt that you were posturing and politicizing the war, given your Democratic opponents’ suggestions that you were weak on national security. As I wrote then, I worried that the goddess Nemesis was watching as you sounded like Patton on Afghanistan and Chamberlain on Iraq—and that an accounting might come due once the theaters were reversed. And so they have, and so the tab is now due.
Is it to make the Norway angry, the elite international community “troubled”, the Left at home “ambiguous” or to finish the job and secure Afghanistan against the odds as we once did in Korea and Iraq—but not in Vietnam?
Do the Right Thing?
It is not an easy call, either politically or militarily. But still the choice is one far easier than the prior surge—given our unprecedented strength, the ability of liberal Presidents to calm Pavlovian anti-war outbursts, and the fact that we are fighting a nasty form of fascism, not a boutique sort of communism that appeals to the ignorant. (A cap-and-trade, gay-marriage, anti-American may find an Ortega or Castro romantic in a way he does not bin Laden or Zawahiri.)
So you can (1) get out, watch a general slaughter and boat-person-like overland exodus of the doomed; blame Bush, borrowing the language you employed against Iraq in 2007-8—and enjoy the acclaim accorded to laureates with troubled brows and bitten lips;
Or (2) you can sort of, kinda, maybe, maybe not, vote present, and continue as we are now, hoping we don’t lose as we don’t win. It’s the LBJ choice, counting on the sympathetic New York Times and NBC and Newsweek for a bit longer not to turn on you, and so will ignore the ‘tolerable” monthly body count;
Or (3) you can offend your liberal base, snub you sponsors in Oslo, and send in another 40,000. That would mean Churchillian talk of winning, a visit to the theater, and a FDR-like encouragement of the troops.
You might have to define the Taliban for what it is—a fascistic sort of murderous religious zealots—and lay out the objectives at hand: freedom for the Afghan people to govern themselves, with a message to radical Islam that never again will they plot the destruction of the US from a safe haven.
1-2—or-3?
If you pick the easy 1, your friends will praise you not as expedient, but “brave”, “principled, and “daring.”
The even easier choice 2 ensures you grudging report, more disdain for Bush, and a neutral issue that neither hurts nor helps you in 2010. You may still do the old “Bush did it” to me thing and staunch the bleeding. Your “ordeal” and “agony” will earn Newsweek essays daily, and photos of you walking troubled and alone in the Rose garden.
But 3? That offends both your base, the Europeans, and even the public—and helps only the soldiers out on the frontier, sometimes outnumbered and outgunned. They are fighting and dying for a vision of freedom and security that they once took as sincere when they landed in that godforsaken country to fight godforsaken enemies from the 7th century. Do 3 and you will be surprised at the number of us who did not vote for you, but who will support your decision—even as casualties mount in the short term from the surge, and those who voted for you turn on you.
It is not easy, and a lot harder than campaigning. But that’s what Presidents do—they are trashed while they are in office, and judged fairly only when they are retired or beyond.
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1. Pajamas Media » Nobelitics:[...] Read the entire piece here. [...]
Oct 11, 2009 - 12:58 am 2. The selection of President Barack Obama as this year’s recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is a most peculiar choice, given how briefly he has been president and how little he has done in concrete terms to advance the cause of peace since assuming office:[...] Nobel Prizes from Lala Land. If you have stumbled onto this blog and are not a Christian, get yourself a hot drink, pull up a comfy chair and then tuck into the following article written by one of the best in the business:- All Of Grace by Charles Spurgeon [...]
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:12 am 3. Spinoneone:The very last thing the President needed was another ego pump from abroad. Nemesis will win in the end; it always does when the protagonist has a hubris problem.
Obama seems to seek personal aggrandizement while belittling the United States. He will minimize U.S. power, capacity, and accomplishments while trying to expand the importance of self.
He will choose #1. He lacks the courage to choose #3 and doesn’t want to put up with the backstabbing if he were to decide on #2.
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:39 am 4. tvb:I would like to point out that other Scandinavians consider the Norwegians as dim peasants. Too bad that the ‘very humbled’ Obama will not go for a surge in Afghanistan. It might endanger his ascendancy into the Walhalla of Lala land
Oct 11, 2009 - 2:12 am 5. seansarto:“I once had a girl
or should I say
she once had me….”
I was going to post “Obamacare = Norweigan Wood”…a while back..in fact I found myself singin’ that tune with “Obamnacare” ammended into the lyric an’ thought SNL was blowin’ it by not jumpin’ on such material ….but I was sick of all the noise and opted not to….Norwegians must have felt slighted ….
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:26 am 6. David Thomson:The awarding of the Nobel Prize to Barack Obama is a curse. What other honor has Obama received that was not earned? There are already very serious questions concerning the authorship of his two books. What about his grades at Harvard? George W. Bush’s grades were released to the public. Why does Obama continue to hide his? He became the editor of the Harvard Law Review. Carol Platt Liebau, however, says Obama rarely ever showed up for work. He was essentially an absentee boss. What did Obama ever accomplish during his years involved in Illinois politics? Obama sure did not do much of anything while serving as a U.S. senator. The president and his adoring fans have a mess on their hands. Middle-of-the-road citizens are now asking questions that should have been asked long ago. They will only increase in the foreseeable future.
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:42 am 7. vivo:VDH gets another Noble (not Nobel) Prize for Overanalyzing and Discursiveness.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:43 am 8. genghis:The Nobel committee’s choice of Obama was, of course, ludicrous. That he accepted it ‘humbly’ indicates, as usual, Obama always wants it both ways. Which indicates he will choose option #2. But not before assembling a panopoly of disclaimers, and excuses. And Bush bashing will never disappear from his repetoire. He is just not manly enough (gasp, was that a sexist remark?). Obama is beginning to resemble those sexually obscure beings encountered in Greek sculpture. Krauthammer’s characterization of the Nobel crowd was perfect; Eurotrash. Their goal is to diminish the United States, which, it appears, is exactly what Obama is attempting to do.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:52 am 9. Marie Claude:Analyse of Norway as LalaLand very accurate.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:55 am 10. eon:Excellent analysis from Dr. Hanson, as usual.
As for what The One will do, I suspect he would prefer 1. And in view of his behavior elsewhere (notably his self-created embarrassment re Honduras), he will see this as a time to “stand on principle”- the principle in question being, of course, his dogma, which holds that the more virulently anti-Western and anti-democratic someone is, the more “philosophically pure” they are.
In this, he is in lockstep with the “enlightened elite’” in Europe, academia, and even Hollywood. Who, as Dr. Hanson stated, believe they will never have to worry about living in the nightmare states they help to create through their fatuousness.
In fact, they may even believe that when the Glorious World People’s Revolt Against Icky Western Civilization arrives on their own turf, they will be the Enlightened Leaders who will rule the new Utopia forever.
It apparently doesn’t occur to them that those they see as their “intellectual equals” on the other side do not see them as friends. In fact, it would be fair to state that the typical mystically-oriented Talibanist, Iranian mullah, al-Qaeda member, etc., sees the typical member of the “smart set” over here as part of the problem they have with the West to begin with. It wasn’t nuclear power and automobiles that Sayyid Qutb found “offensive to Allah” when he was in the U.S. in the 1950s and early 60s- it was rock n’roll, bobby sox, and free speech.
Those who believe that in the Brave New World, they will never have to worry about the evils of technology again, but will at the same time receive their long-dreamed-of reward for their self-righteousness (think; Eternal Sex and Taxpayer-Funded Free Dope for Life for All Truly Good, Sensitive, and Caring People) not only don’t understand the people who want to destroy us- they don’t even understand the situation as a whole.
clear ether
eon
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:10 am 11. Mark Epstein:The committee needs to rename the “peace prize” to the Neville Chamberlain Award.
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:31 am 12. Edmund Burke:In a war, always do first what’ll leave your enemies quaking in their boots. Question is, with respect to A’stan, who does Obama regard as his enemies?
Essential VDH. Always a “must read first.”
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:42 am 13. pelaut:Unbelievably dead on the spot.
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:55 am 14. Rob:Pray that both Petraeus and McChrystal resign their commissions if anything but #3 is done.
=:obama knows that’s a possibility, so he’ll do a Clinton and ‘fake it’.
Pray he waffles strongly, and that the generals go into politics.
Nice words, but Obama will not hear.
He’s frozen like a deer in the headlights by the need to make a big decision on Afghanistan. Knowing he’ll be held to account for it, and is “damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t”, he’ll delay and prevarciate and do half measures, and ignore the fact that his actions, and inaction, will allow the situation to decay further.
He may be the CINC, but he’s no leader.
Pathetic.
This is what all of America gets for 53% electing an unknown, untried, pandering cipher to his first position of leadership. Soldiers will pay in blood for that tragic choice.
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:56 am 15. the goat:Another billiant piece Dr. Hanson but with what we have seen of Obama in the 1st 9 months in office Option #3 is not really an option.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:02 am 16. JohnR:By nature, disposition and education, Obama will be incapable of choosing Door NO. 3.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:02 am 17. K T Cat:My bet is #4 – try a half-measure and send over about 15,000 troops, but don’t use them as McChrystal suggests, instead use them to “train the Afghans to fight their own war.”
Certainly the citizens of Tobruk could have been armed and trained by the British instead of having yet more Tommies die in a far-off land …
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:04 am 18. RedheadedTexan:The One doesn’t have the cojones to pursue the war as it should be pursued. He thinks if we are just NICE to those pesky terrorists they will sit down and have tea with us. Fat chance.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:05 am 19. ETAB:As you and others have pointed out, Obama lives in a virtual world, made up completely of words. A world ‘where reality is virtual and constructed in language and expressed intent’>
Obama’s pathological narcissism means that his virtual world, filled as it is with blatant misinformation, emotional manipulation..is meant to charm and cajole you to be ‘His’. This adherence by you, is to Him. Not to his proposed action. He’ll change that action depending on the audience, the day, the time..and blatant contradictions are irrelevant. Your adherence is to HIM. Only Him.
This means that for Obama, there is no connection between His Words..and that far-off world outside of his rhetoric, the real world in which most of us live. That real world does not exist for Obama.
In fact, if it tries to intrude on him – he’ll deny its existence. Just as he has denied the existence of the Tea Parties. Denied the numbers of unemployed. Denied the tripling o the deficit. Denied the costs of health care. Denied the reality of the desire for democracy in Iran. Denied the Iranian’s almost ready nuclear bomb. Denied Zelaya’s violation of the Honduran constitution.
Obama won’t pick Option 1 because it has a direct link, a NEW link, to the Real World and Real actual results. This link might intrude on His Words.
He won’t pick Option 3 for the same reason. It’s a new action and sets up a new link between the word and reality. Obama doesn’t want links between His words and reality.
Remember also that Obama, as a Virtual Man, is the Salesman for the policies of the Backroom Gang who run him..and they are hardcore radical leftists, socialists who live in the postmodern world of relativism, where evil and greed are found only in Americans, and not in any other peoples of the world.
He’ll pick Option 2 – voting ‘Present’ because he can continue the rhetoric of ‘we are in the good war’, and yet, when things go bad, blame Bush and others. And it doesn’t set up a link between His words and reality because it doesn’t change anything.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:06 am 20. TLM:VDH:
Aw, lay off the Norwegians. They’re harmless. All they did was select the guy for their meaningless prize and give him money he can’t use. We’re the ones who elected him leader of the free world and put trillions at his disposal. Talk about living in Lala land….
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:07 am 21. Curtis:We all know Obama is a man of excuses, his track record speaks for himself from the chronic fence sitting as a senator and to this day on a myriad of issues.
The Nobel prize he accepted is “.. a call to action” he declared.
Action in this sense (given the prize awarded him) can clearly be interpreted as retreat. It appears he has always planned on cutting and running at some point. His convoluted opinions and game of charades about Afghanistan and Iraq were designed to bamboozle (to win time and favor for HIM, for Obama not our troops). In his eyes the enemy and problem is the USA. Now this latest accolade from that Scandinavian hotbed of liberal pacifism and anti-Americanism, Oslo, gives him the extra currency to surrender. To continue his lofty pursuit of (flawed) postmodernist utopian ideals. Obama is Machiavellian by nature, he is a risk to stability around the world (Bibi and Sarkozy know it already) including at home. Nemesis is indeed watching the self-absorbed megalomaniac closely, unfortunately when she strikes we’ll have paid the price for Obama’s celebrity, ineptitude and grandiose recklessness.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:11 am 22. Adina Kutnicki, Israel:In a just and righteous world Norway would be overrun with PA terrorists, pushing through its borders, one way or another . It would then suffer the same fate as Israel, hopefully on an even larger scale, just so that the object lesson rendered was never forgotten.
In a just world, a tiny nation which has produced MORE scientific/techno inventions than any other nation per capita-including the US-would be the one which can for once ! live a fairy tale existence and lord over Norway’s degenerate, self styled elite.
In a perfect world Israel would be the one lording over Norway’s sanctimonious elite. And in this perfect world there would be a jail void of ANY Hollywood-like perks which would house the likes of those who hand out the monstrous ‘peace’ prizes, courtesy of the benighted Jews!
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:12 am 23. pelaut:BRAVISSIMO !!
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:16 am 24. JFP:“We should honor preseason favorites, not 20-game winners.”
Nice essay, but if you want to persuade Europeans of what you are saying, try to avoid metaphors that they won’t understand.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:58 am 25. Geez Louise:THANX FOR THE HISTORICAL/POLITICAL/GEOGRAPHIC REMINDER
about who and what Norway is. Only 5 million people!!! Honogeneous at that. No rational–even un-college educated person could assume that what works in that oil rich little nation would work here!!!
YOUR OPTIONS–WELL DEFINED AND CLEAR. And God help us–that the “newly humbled by the Nobel Prize” POTUS has the wisdom to choose the one that is BEST FOR AMERICA….ALL Americans, Left, Right and Center alike.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:59 am 26. Now and Then:VDH – you are the Ronald Reagan of blogilizers . . . overrated and imbued with an intellect beyond the grasp of the believers who bestow it, and thus held unaccountable for terrorizing truth, justice and the America way. Shame on you for exploiting their ignorance.
“not demonizing your general as a traitor” . . . nope, just fired him for being right about troop levels.
“Some of us had doubts about your ‘let me at ‘em’ stump speeches, and ‘go into Pakistan’ tough talk in 2008.” . . . nope, just claimed he was threatening to invade a sovereign nation that was our ally.
“judged fairly only when they are retired or beyond” . . . nope, but nice try at stoking the Bush Legacy Project.
“:A cap-and-trade, gay-marriage, anti-American ” . . . wow, now there’s a conflation worthy of the most bigoted and arbitrary patriot. Well done, VDH. And the best part? No one will notice.
This is classic conservative bullshit – unprincipled, situational, and self-serving – always looking for an evil doer behind the rejection of conservatism. Hey, I got it! Norway!
Onward, Christian victims.
(Helpful Hint from the Ranks of God’s Militia: If you cut out the pages of your Bible in the shape of a gun, you can fit a nice little .380 in there. Sweet!)
Next up . . . the Swedes!
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:10 am 27. Poor Citizen:Just because he won the prize is no reason to now attack the entire country from whence this committee came from. Your obviously anti Obama, which is understandable but why be so against northern europeans. My right wing friends tell me that many of their own are “losing it” because this particular american president won an award. The right wing was stung. But that is no reason to pick on a defenseless country like Norway. Just because the U.N. is in america does the U.N. speak for america? think about it.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:16 am 28. Thomas_L......:Well then I suppose it’s good for the president that the prize came from the Norwegians and not directly from Bin Laden or Putin. Well done Oslo! Maybe we can call you Uber-Quislings?
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:22 am 29. RE:Thank you for calling out the Norwegian alternative universe. Those oil reserves sure do give them an exemption from reality. It will catch up with them in the end, though. Utopianism is already having negative impacts on their society.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:22 am 30. Charles Gordon:Never hesitant to disparage American dominion, always quick to praise customs foreign to our own, how can anyone expect our historic first Islamic apostate president to strengthen America’s influence with the decisive use of force beyond our shores in furtherance of the principles and traditions of our way of life?
Under cover of an equivocating supine opportunist enamored to any expedient that smoothes a hard choice while stroking his ego, there patiently lurks a malevolent spirit instigating the deliberate remaking of America, pleased to exhaust our soldiers with orders for a thousand cuts from his administration and abandoning them to a thousand more from the skirmishing barbarians whom their own mothers, sisters, and daughters fear more than love.
Number 2 describes exactly what we will get.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:24 am 31. Now and Then:Article #7 on how much you all DON’T care about what the world thinks re: the Nobel Peace Prize. Almost as many articles as those touting how much you DO care what the world thinks about the Olympics. Ah, the power of principled consistency at work in the conservative movement. Stunning to witness. It makes me weep with pride.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:46 am 32. BC:Norway has a much higher standard of living than the US. Also their best computer programmers/hackers can eat everyone else’s lunch, so small population or not, they could cause major global mischief if they wanted to. And while I do think they gave Obama the prize mostly out of a big (apparently VERY BIG) sense of relief that the US finally has a smart, responsible President again who will do well as the defacto world leader, I think the psychological giant wedgie that it’s given the right wing nut-o-sphere has been priceless and well worth it.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:50 am 33. Awake:Mr. Obama does not give one whit about our military. Indeed I suspect he views it as a threat to his vision to turn America into a socialist state. I have maintained since his election that he seeks to gut our military. He also wants the money that is spent every year on our defense budget and redistribute it to the “workers”. I believe that he will choose to maintain the status quo in Afganistan which will destroy the morale of our volunteer army and remove a perceived threat to his rule. These are indeed perilous times.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:55 am 34. Hejsan:I believe that Norway is so homogeneous by choice- they have seen what the Arabs, Muslims, Africans, and other “refugees” have done to Sweden and Denmark, and have conveniently been politically incorrect by avoiding “those” mistakes. They truly live in lala land- wonder how they would feel about Obama if Obama said, Hey Russia- forget Georgia, help yourself to Scandinavia. The Scandinavians wouldn’t even know how to really defend themselves.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:01 am 35. Robert Winkler Burke:When Times’ Ends Justify Means
By Robert Winkler Burke
Copyright 10/3/09
I tell you, oh sons of warriors,
Oh daughters of queens,
High wisdom, high knowledge,
Nah’ base, nor mean things.
A sudden comes to mortals: lo!
Modern yet rococo events,
When gross stupidity and darkness,
From mankind is violent rent.
I’m speaking of the Twenty-First Century,
Not a prehistoric, forgotten time long past,
But when a blind, bipolar, aureate culture,
Unbenownst: swapped evil for good mask.
A pernicious darkness covers the land,
And gross darkness people’s animating spirit,
Such that precious few Truth can hear,
Whereas: multitudes can in no ways bear it!
Even now, if a little mouse of truth,
Enters the common room,
The cult of brain-washed, rigid correct,
Reaches for stick or broom!
The solution, my brothers and sisters,
Is to embrace what will come,
Gargantuan rodent catastrophes,
Big enough to get lies undone.
So, I asked our true God,
What it will actually take,
To make brains one-eighty,
How much shake to shake?
Me heard, me thinks, nay: me surely knows,
And knows full well,
To improve this planet’s thinking must come,
Nothing short of hell.
Nothing short of hell it will take,
To get the job done,
Of changing nations of lie-lovers,
To loving right as one.
Oh, sons of great warriors,
Daughters of fairest queens,
When God teaches global truth,
His ends justify means.
No mortal can justify all actions,
To satisfy ends,
But we must fear our holy God,
And His holy whims.
The cause of God is to bring,
Heaven, in fact, down to earth,
He’ll let us raise up all hell,
To change our soul’s worth.
For now if the few wise souls among us,
Were allowed to be in charge,
Defenestrated! they’d be by the mob,
That preys to have hell enlarged.
God, in His wisdom, will let us keep raising up hell,
And that is the point, it is what we now have,
And what we have, will prove profound truths well,
To put Truth in souls! and on eyes, eye salve!
Yes, hell come now,
Or coming soon,
In the end, when gone,
Will be man’s boon.
And man and the nations,
Will be exceptional,
At one with each other,
In liberty, with God well.
Yes, it will come down to liberty,
Liberty and love,
Mutual, dedicated self-restraint,
Come from above.
Again: What will make this heaven? Aye, now!
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:01 am 36. Rob Mandel:The rub is: It’ll be made by hell,
Brave warriors, dear queens: Survive it,
Our lads and lasses shall fare well!
Professor,
As always, an amazingly astute observation. What I fear, is that your last several pieces have been written under the assumption (or so it does appear) that O really has the best interests of the US at heart. I do not believe that to be the case. You discuss this tangentially, cf. his Wright, Ayers, et al., assocations, his Caisro historical fantasy, his inculcation of AmeriKKKa ideology and the appointments of such like minded souls, etc. His actions both domestically – debasing the currency, masive debts, government takeovers, and abroad, coddling terrorist states, pro-Chavez regimes, and undermining US battlefield successes – speaks only to one who had this as a plan all the while.
Krauthammer’s piece, that decline is a choice, proves only too well that decline actually is Obama’s choice. He seeks to lead America for sure, lead them down. It’s almost his idea of gotterdammerung.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:09 am 37. ETAB:Again, the problem with Obama is that he lives in a virtual or fictional world. He’s never had to match up his virtual world with reality. Never.
And so, he’s coasted along his life, using his rhetorical skills of misinformation, emotional manipulation, and accusations of bias if you disagree with him. It’s worked magnificently for him.
In the presidency, he’s required, or expected, to match fiction with facts. He can’t do this; he long ago moved into a completely virtual world of rhetoric. He’s gotten by, by ignoring actual reality, and leaving that up to others.
He delegates everything, from his ‘work’ as editor of the Harvard Law Review to his ‘community organizer’ to his brief stint at the Senate. He’s voted ‘present’..and gone about campaigning and preaching.
As President, he delegates all decisions about the ‘Real World’- which has no reality to him, to Advisors. Hard left socialists, relativists who define all beliefs and behavior as equally valid, and anti-American, who refuse to recognize the reality of evil in the world. They come up with the policies; Obama’s role is simply to sell them.
These will include his telling us that the Taliban are ‘OK to govern’. Remember them? No schools for women; women not permitted outside the home without a husband or brother, death to any dissenters? Remember them?
He’ll prevaricate on these policies, because he himself isn’t ‘connected’ to them or their results. So, one day he’ll tell you that the Afghan War is necessary and he has a specific strategy. A few months later, he’ll deny both perspectives. One day he’ll tell you that a public health care option is vital; the next day, it isn’t. One day he’ll tell you that the stimulus bill must be signed ToDay or the economy will collapse, and then he’ll go golfing for several days before signing it.
The isolation of Obama from reality is enormous, and he won’t permit that gap to be narrowed. He’ll retreat more and more to his make-believe world, leave policies to others, and simply go around the world pontificating and making speeches.
Who will pick up the reins of leadership?
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:22 am 38. R. Richard Schweitzer:The salutary effect of this Nobel award has been to cause a more open observations and examinations of what this Prseident is, how executive decisions are being made (and more frequently being avoided) and why those decisions are being chosen – to what ends.
This has really been unintentionally helpful.
The lights are coming on.
EON: My reading (now years past)of Qtub was his concern at the “Western” concepts of the secular/spiritual dichotomies of human nature were the most forces most destructive and over-riding of the Islamic theology, and thus of the “Will of Allah.”
R. Richard Schweitzer
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:23 am 39. Sebastian Shaw:President Obama will never make any difficult decisions; he will always try to split the difference to vote “present.” However, as POTUS, he cannot vote “present” since he must take a definite stand of various issues given he is the Commander-in-Chief. But President Obama’s priorities remain scrambled as he believes himself to be the Celebrity-in-Chief & wannabe despot dictator of the United States with his various power grabs.
President Obama is a self-centered narcissist & does not see anything else; he lives is a fantasy land bubble of his own making. And trying his best to trash America to remake it in his distorted despot image.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:30 am 40. J.E. Dyer:#12 Edmund Burke:
Q. “In a war, always do first what’ll leave your enemies quaking in their boots. Question is, with respect to A’stan, who does Obama regard as his enemies?”
A. George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity.
#17 K T CAT — spot on. Obama will try to find that “fourth way” (the once-cutting-edge concept of the “Third Way” being now SO last-century). I’m betting the additional troops will be fewer than 15K — enough to give the appearance of considering McChrystal’s input and applying a judicious top-level tweak, but not enough to make an effective change with.
# 20 TLM — good point. The Norwegians didn’t put Obama in the White House. Americans did.
It’s interesting to realize that there are twice as many people in Los Angeles County as there are in the whole nation of Norway.
Thanks, Professor, for a worthwhile take on the Obama award.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:32 am 41. Sam:I think it is a big mistake for conservatives to let Obama have a pass with his plans for escalation of the Afghanistan conflict. It is a political vulnerability that should be exploited to the maximum extent. Conservatives should be be rallying and agitating for complete withdrawal of ground troops from Afghanistan. It is the smart thing to do, it is the right thing to do. The goal (representative gov., rule of law, ‘democracy’) is not achievable. Iraqis were thought to have the best chance at it but who doubts the government will collapse and the state regress into civil war and then dictatorship when we leave? The Afghans? Come on, it doesn’t even bear discussion. The idealism that motivated the strategy we have been pursuing is dead anyway. It was murdered by left in their all-consuming hatred of Bush. It isn’t possible to justify an intervention in the name of democracy anymore. The new ethics established by the combined forces at home and abroad aligned in opposition to Bush and his policies specifically delegitimized interventions in the name of ‘regime change.’
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:56 am 42. westerncanadian:The Nobel award has made Obama look ridiculous – again. The SNL skit ridiculed Obama at the national level. The peace prize ridicules him at the international level. Much of the world is laughing. The prize made it harder for Obama to present himself as a serious person. (Yes, many people assume he is a serious person – go figure.)
Which of Mr Hanson’s three choices would a ridiculous man take? Answer – numbers one or two. I’ll bet all the salmon in my freezer that Obama dithers his way to number two. The first victims of President Dithers will probably be the soldiers in Afghanistan. Then it will be the turn of the Afghan people.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:58 am 43. David S:I don’t think it is likely that much of Obama’s base will turn on him. Certainly there is a mass of people on the left who will be disappointed if escalation is the way Obama chooses to proceed, but there is a huge difference between Bush and Obama when it comes to war fighting. Obama seems genuinely interested in making the best decision possible, with evidence to support it, and his deliberate and measured process ensures that his base cannot claim he is being reckless.
There will be dissent against whatever choice Obama makes, and there is no way to know going forward if his choice is the best available or not – history does not allow us the luxury of studying hypotheticals.
The claim that 40,000 troops will somehow magically create the change needed in Afghanistan is hopelessly naive. Obama’s pursuit of a workable strategy for victory is the best way forward – precipitous escalation is meaningless without an underlying strategy that can tie together all of the elements necessary for a stable and democratic Afghanistan to emerge from the wreckage of eight years of war.
Given the complete failure of the previous administration to square this circle, Obama’s task is clearly a difficult and thorny challenge – but the best way forward is not intuitively obvious, and the assumptions that underlie the call for a “surge” should be properly challenged and explored. Without a complete and thoughtful policy review, sending additional troops into harm’s way would be a crime – not as great a crime as the invasion of Iraq, but certainly a failure in the proper conduct of war.
Peace.
DS
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:08 am 44. Cybergeezer:News Flash:
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:15 am 45. johan:Obama to be awarded Nobel prizes for his contributions to physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, and literature; After all; What God doesn’t have a handle on all this?
As a reader of many US papers & magazines I must, unfortunately, direct you all to the post by editor John Podhoretz at Commentary, who states tersely that Mr Obama was the perfect choice for the Nobel Committee!!)… because Obama is ‘an American president queasy about the projection of American power…and, further, is a president ‘who rejects the notion of US exceptionalism!’
Apparently it is Obama’s wish that the United States become one of many nations INFLUENCING the world in a circumspect fashion…or not at all..
Obama is, then, ‘the encapsulation, the representative, the wish fulfillment, the EMBODIMENT of the multilateralist impulse that seeks to foster pacifist doctrines to replace US power as one used to know it in a bipolar world,- still defined until mid-2009 despite the Soviet Union going to the dogs in 1991..
Much as I agree with most of Mr Hanson’s fine analysis, the editor of Commentary has summed up on the ‘Contentions’ page of his magazine why giving the Peace Prize to Mr Obama was a logical, though ludicrous choice..
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:19 am 46. macko:Whether the Nobel Prize can retain its reputation from here on is another matter – probably not considering that Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter(second anti-semite!) and Kofi Annan(guardian of UN corruption)all received it without much protest…
the O being given a prize reminds me of the wizard of Oz and how he explained that he didn’t need to give them what they wanted because the Lion was already brave, the scarecrow had a brain and the Tin man had a heart. Unfortunately for us the O doesn’t have what it takes to do the things he has promised and you can’t give it to him whether you are from norway or OZ.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:21 am 47. Cybergeezer:Funny; Awarded the Peace Prize the same day he bombs the moon! What if he hit a moonbat day care center?
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:27 am 48. tanstaafl:…but most certainly do dare to convince the world that the Muslims jump-started the Renaissance. For that brave assertion, global peace will surely follow.
Norwegians are a little hypocritical on this point, kicking out of their country that infamous Iraqi, agitator and devotée of Osama bin laden, Mullah Krekar.
How inhumane !
Did the compulsion to expel the good Mullah give the Norwegians a little cognitive dissonance ?
…postmodernism hit the world stage, where reality is virtual and constructed on language and expressed intent.
Yep, blabbering supersedes deeds. For the proponents of New Liberalism, talking (and talking !)= action.
I gave up on the Nobel peace prize (finally) in 2003, when the Iranian jurist, Shirin Ebadi, received it.
Effectively silenced in her own country, she spoke in her acceptance speech in Oslo not of Iranian insults & atrocities against its citizens, but of one of the Left’s favorite (phony) PC topics*, the incarceration of Guantanamo guys.
*aka one of the many tools in the Left’s America bashing arsenal
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:29 am 49. Pops in Vienna:I predicted that Obama would win the Nobel Prize and mentioned it in a comment I posted on PJ shortly after the election. I never imagined that they would actuallyh give it to him before his first year in office was up.
I suspect Obama will go the LBJ route with Afghanistan. Some of his advisers were on CNN Europe today already speaking against an increase in troops or a surge. I doubt if the media will ever turn on him and I doubt if Code Pink will raise any objections even after we have 10,000 killed in Afghanistan.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:40 am 50. T. O'Connor:Five years ago Bruce Bawer wrote an excellent piece on Norwegian attitudes in Norway following 9/11/01. See Bawer’s “Hating America”: http://www.hudsonreview.com/BawerSp04.html
Bawer’s recollections sounded identical to the ones that my fellow ex-pats and I had experienced in Ireland in the same period: http://www.geocities.com/irelandvus911/
Nearly 30 years ago I lived in a pre-affluent Ireland whose ethnic homogeneity never seemed to give pause to what remains to this day a national cliche: that the Irish were and are among the most tolerant peoples of the world.
In 1999, thanks in part to the workings of the same naive cliche among the negotiators of the “Good Friday Agreement,” a referendum was held in Ireland with 94.4% of the electorate opting to change Articles 2 and 3 of their constitution. Since 1937 the Constitution of Ireland had stated that the whole island formed one “national territory,” a claim which was deeply offensive to northern Unionists. The nineteenth amendment to the Constitution of Ireland would now grant the right of citizenship [read: EU membership] to anyone born on the island of Ireland, which wording was found to be acceptable to northern Republicans.
The consequence of that vote was an immediate influx of non-white immigrants, and especially of already-pregnant Africans and Asians, which brought a sting of reality to the still-widespread belief in Ireland’s “racial harmony,” though only slowly. Local attacks and beatings – to be fair, not exclusively against non-European immigrants – curiously were never considered newsworthy by any newspapers or by the state-run, televised news, though they showed up in police blotters.
An outbreak of gang violence within the suddenly huge, new community of Chinese nationals (who were granted visas en masse in 2001-2002) garnered some attention. (Perhaps because it didn’t involve Irish nationals and so wouldn’t threaten the tolerance cliche?)
But if sanctimony dies hard among Utopians, watch for actualities instead. In 2004, after the European Court of Justice ruled in favor of Mrs. Chen (a Chinese national living in Wales on a work visa who decided to disobey China’s one-child policy, and to thus procure EU membership by having her baby on the island of Ireland) the people of Ireland altered their national constitution by referendum yet again. This time they added a 27th amendment making it possible in future for the Republic of Ireland to refuse citizenship to individuals who don’t already have an Irish parent.
My point is, whether citing utopian cliches in Ireland or in Norway, the corrections rarely accumulate into any kind of instructive lesson or wisdom which might work against the general, high self-regard.
Like those paradigm shifts explained by the historian of science T.S. Kuhn, any facts which contradict orthodoxy are rejected as anomalies, swept under the carpet, or blamed on others. Left to themselves (pun intended), the mounting exceptions and absurdities never add up, until great institutions such as the Nobel Peace Prize or even national constitutions are made into laughing stocks on the altars of the naive.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:41 am 51. JL:The US have created this monster itself. US military presence in Europe have maintained a protective cocoon around Europe so the Europeans themselves can be completely week and naive without any risk or consequence what so ever.
The solution:
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:45 am 52. Delia:Pull all troops out of Europe and use them in Afghanistan. It will accomplish two things. 1) McChrystal will get the troops he need. 2) Europe will stop acting like spoiled children.
Victor,
I find this thread lacking in vitriolic nincompoopery so I shall get this out of the way for future trollery:
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST!”
ON TOPIC:
A prize UNgained is a prize restrained.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:48 am 53. Cristina:# 20 TLM
You have a point. Obama did get elected in the U.S., not in Norway. The rot started right here, among us.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:53 am 54. Sulla:In defense of Norway, at least they, unlike California and other states, recognize the benefits of off-shore and arctic oil production.
Also, recall that to make room for Gen. McChrystal, the previous commander, Gen. David McKiernan, was fired (a la MacArthur) on May 11th and forced to retire in June. Go back and read the articles about why this happened. Although neither Sec of Defense Robert Gates nor the White House could point to one act deserving of such a dismissal, McKiernan’s sins seemed to be that he asked Gates for 30,000 more troops in 2008; he had observed that we were not winning the war; and he wasn’t politically savvy enough to fawn over members of Congress or the Press.
I personally think that the White House showed it is out of its depth when it fell for a “Patreus gambit” (lose a pawn but gain an advantage on the board). The White House agreed to fire McKiernan because they thought he would continue to describe Afghanistan as a losing proposition without more troops on the ground. The Administration thought McChrystal, well versed in Washington politics, would offer a new assessment and devise a new (ie one requiring less troops) strategy in line with what the White House wanted to hear.
Instead, they got “McKiernan plus”: An assessment that we are losing, that we need more troops, and the the political skills (which all agree were never in Gen. McKiernan’s playbook) to leak it so as to pressure the Administration to take responsibility for the Afghan war. No wonder they were furious at the general. Now, unless the Administration supports the military, then the White House must accept the blame for a loss in Afghanistan.
Was this by accident or design? Would the military commanders be wrong to execute such a plan? The only casualties are McKiernan (a soldier’s soldier) and the White House efforts to always avoid responsibility and always have the military as a scapegoat. The current Brass, as junior officers in Vietnam and post-Vietnam, have seen how this has played out. Using the military as an excuse for political failure would wreck the armed services as it was in the Carter days.
As for the Nobel “Prince of Peace” Prize, is it not like giving the grade and then asking for the term paper? The trouble with being recognized as “great” in the first year, is that it devalues a second term. I wonder if, instead of seeking re-election, our current President will decide to move on to become something more international, such as Secretary General of the UN?
Oct 11, 2009 - 10:00 am 55. bobbcat:20.TLM: “We’re the ones who elected him leader of the free world and put trillions at his disposal. Talk about living in Lala land….”
Ya think? I hope there are oodles of people out there swamped by guilt feelings for pulling the lever for this charlatan.
Oct 11, 2009 - 10:05 am 56. rc:I would certainly support Obama in an Afghan surge…but if I understand him as I think I do, he will actually choose option 2 followed by option 1. He’s already ‘re-defining’ the Taliban as potential friends and partners in peace.
Optimism about Obama doing the right thing is no longer justified.
Oct 11, 2009 - 10:16 am 57. JED:Overanalysis indeed! The sitting president of the United States is offered money and recognition to sway his opinion before his decisions. Anywhere else this would be a bribe. Add the word “esteem” and we have esteemed bribe, or more sugar-coated, esteemed recognition of a pro-active peace agenda with new hope to millions.
Oct 11, 2009 - 10:20 am 58. Norwegian:There was some talk in the last election to disallow foreign contributions to American political campaigns. How long did that last when 100’s of millions of bucks came here to influence votes. Our noble politicians of course, refused such rewards until they were out of office.
“Norway is, in other words, the Hollywood nation.”
I love how conservatives need to make up names for their opponents so that they dont have to facve the arguments. Classy as always.
“The boat is sinking, captain”
“Youre a spoiled brat”
“The boat is still sinking, captain”
“WHat did you do doing the war, looser? Eh? Eh?”
“THE BOAT IS FRICKING SINKING, CAPTAIN”
“You smell bad and your mama…”
etc. VD Hanson strikes again.
Oct 11, 2009 - 10:35 am 59. TLM:“— I accept this peace prize on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. military: the world’s most important peacekeepers.”
From Tom Friedman’s version of Obama’s acceptance speech.
I’m hard-pressed to understand why so many in the MSM are joining the chorus in denouncing the Norwegians’ blandishment of Mr 0. They either agree this is a suck-up too far, or that the average citizen of the world will see it as such and are, therefore, playing damage control. After all, they’re the ones who started the idol-worship ball rolling.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:09 am 60. Allende:Obama, The Planetary Man
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:17 am 61. Mike McDaniel:And so the invoice has arrived and must be paid with deeds, not words, with clarity, not obfuscation hidden within the billowing clouds of soaring, hopenchangey rhetoric. Unfortunately, America elected a man who, after working for years as a “community organizer,” admitted in his autobiographical writings that he could not actually tell his closest friends what he did for a living. We’ve elected a man whose only executive experience–managing multi millions of education money with his non-friend, guy who just happened to live in the neighborhood, domestic terrorist Williams Ayers–was a complete failure, a failure determined by the leftist foundation that supplied the funds, and a failure to the extent that Obama did not mention those years in his campaign biography, or anywhere else in polite society. We’ve elected a man on the strength of voting “present”around 150 times in the Illinois Legislature, and on the strength of about two years in the US Senate, during virtually all of which tenure he was running for president. And his legislative accomplishments? Essentially zero. We elected him president on the strength and the record of running for president.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:21 am 62. Mike Jefferson:And the Nobel Prize? Awarded to him on the strength of approximately ten days in office, during which time he could not decide on a family dog, and his press people observed that he couldn’t be expected to be on top of everything because he didn’t realize how hard the job was (remember that one?)! To recap: Barack Obama ascended to the presidency, and won the Nobel Peace Prize based on his outstanding work in…in…well…in doing nothing and in accomplishing…nothing.
The man who, we are constantly assured is absolutely brilliant, is the greatest orator mankind has ever seen, who, by his own assertion will halt the rising of the seas and heal the planet, and will unilaterally reach out to and reset the world, now must accomplish something. And he doesn’t know how. And he’ll make his decision based on years as a Chicago machine functionary. Too bad he can’t deal with Medieval Muslim murderers by petty graft, leg breaking threats, vote fraud, bribery and kickbacks. Actually, since Democrats are so good at raising the dead whenever votes are scarce, perhaps Obama could raise an army of zombies to fight the Taliban! Nah. They always vote democrat. They’d never fight; they’d try to understand why the Taliban hate us so much. After all, Bush isn’t president anymore.
But the President should not be unfairly denigrated. He has several accomplishments to his name, accomplishments of Olympian magnitude. He has made the French look like hawks. He has made Jimmy Carter look like a rational statesman. He has become the greatest firearm salesman and Second Amendment booster in American history, and he has spent more money in nine months than every prior president in American history, combined. I wonder if the Nobel committee would take that into consideration for next year’s prize?
Considering that Alfred Nobel made his millions from the production of explosives (Nitroglycerine,TNT,etc.) it is with a sense of irony that the Norwegians would have the audacity to dictate to the free world how to behave. Given Norway’s political and cultural history (i.e. Vikings, allegiance to Hitler, etc.), it is not surprising that they would align with despots and terrorists around the world. I say we ship all of the Gitmo garbage and palestinians to this land of the midnight sun.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:21 am 63. Sherab Zangpo:C’mon, stop disturbing the Communist in Chief with funny thoughts, he’s busy creating a gay- lesbian- trans-gender new branch of the Pentagon , that will be probably called “La Cage aux Folles” (LCAF Central Command, more precisely).
That’s his NEW STRATEGY to win the war against the islamic thugs:
“talebans, discover you inner lust for a little black dress !”
“Keep the long beard, wear the little black dress, dance and feel happy !”
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:24 am 64. Albert:The author correctly points out how fortunate Norwegians are. The list of benefits should serve as a good basis to conclude that the US is not the best country in the world in which to live. I am so sick of Americans saying the US is the best country in the world. It isn’t. The only league tables the US might top or be near the top are number of very rich people list, and the institutions of graduate education table. The US once had “minerals, natural gas, timber, and fish and [was a] nation {that sat] on a bonanza of natural wealth”, such as oil. The cowboy capitalists squandered those great resources, and now we are dependent on others for a good number of essential resources. Norway recognizes the finiteness of oil and leads the world in innovations regarding alternative fuel sources. Here, conservatives scream for more CO2 rich coal. Norway is an excellent steward of what it has, not a a country that grants religious status to the market place. Rather than suggest we have nothing to learn from Scandinavia, I think you’ve argued well for a greater attentiveness to the successes of the northern Europeans.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:28 am 65. Hans Moleman:Obama has indeed earned the prize. He has moved the world’s only superpower firmly into the appeasement camp. This has been the Western left’s greatest foreign policy goal, and Obama has delivered on it.
Meanwhile, Iran arms itself for the coming annihilation of 6 million Jews, and the world prepares iself by stigmatizing Israel and legitimizing anti-Semitism.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:31 am 66. klrtz1:I am still surprised that George W. Bush was able to ignore all the advice and polls that were against the surge in Iraq. Bush took a big risk and decided to try the surge anyway.
No way does Barack Obama have that kind of guts. Has he ever chosen the riskier alternative in any major decision? The Norwegians got at least one thing right. Obama is no Bush.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:37 am 67. Donna V.:Reposted from the other thread, because this is just too amazing:
A certain pundit believes Obama should accept the award on behalf of American troops. This is what the pundit believes Obama should say:
“I will accept it on behalf of the most important peacekeepers in the world for the last century — the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the American soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, to liberate Europe from the grip of Nazi fascism. I will accept this award on behalf of the American soldiers and sailors who fought on the high seas and forlorn islands in the Pacific to free East Asia from Japanese tyranny in the Second World War.
If you want to see the true essence of America, visit any U.S. military outpost in Iraq or Afghanistan. You will meet young men and women of every race and religion who work together as one, far from their families, motivated chiefly by their mission to keep the peace and expand the borders of freedom.
“So for all these reasons — and so you understand that I will never hesitate to call on American soldiers where necessary to take the field against the enemies of peace, tolerance and liberty — I accept this peace prize on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. military: the world’s most important peacekeepers.”
Lord Almighty! What warmongering neocon said that?
Thomas Friedman – NY Times
Yeah, I’m in a state of shock myself. I’ll bet the sewer system of Manhattan was backed up this morning, as 2 million liberal yupsters ran to their bathrooms at the same moment after reading Friedman’s column.
The reaction to the PP is just the gift that keeps on giving.
Oct 11, 2009 - 12:26 pm 68. Gaffe Prices:Well it looks like the bread showed up, which is good as the circuses thing fell through by the end of last week.
This is where experience in leadership. or the lack of leadership will determine what choice is to be made. The president will try to defer to events on the ground and let them decide for him.
As a world citizen, he has broader elite constituencies than the narrow confines of a an electorate that he needs to consider.
Pawns, whether in the streets of Iran, or in the judiciary of Guatemala, or in the mountains of Afghanistan, are expendable as long a the positions of the king and his wise council are improved.
And the game is not played to victory anymore; perish the thought.
Are there any potentates left to charm? Is there a violent opposition in afghanistan that can be portrayed as a victims group, whose opposition can be transformed from an ostracized non-participant, to that of a legitimate group, whose only crime is to keep ancient customs in the face of the old U.S. imperialist policies and U.S. war machine of the past?
After all, it is those who seek one party rule who offer the way out of the partisan bickering and failed policies of the past.
Why don’t they deserve a chance?
Oct 11, 2009 - 12:40 pm 69. cfbleachers:It seems apparent that the best way for an American to win “prizes and awards” is to act as anti-American as possible.
Certainly works in Hollywood…and now seems to work pretty consistently with leftist Norwegians.
When you run as a demi-god, serving as a utopian One World leader, who apologizes for sins not committed by America, while whitewashing the sins actually committed by her enemies…should endear you to cretins like the seditious trolls who appear here yelling “racist” at the top of their eye-bulging, spittle-flecked lungs..and have grown so used to being handed unearned accolades, they believe that unless the game is rigged in their favor, it isn’t fair.
These weaklings can’t compete on a level playing field, the awards, prizes and “media coverage” is so slanted, fixed, and slimed…they don’t smell their own stench or realize that they have cheapened all their “faux accomplishments”
Hopefully, I will live long enough to see America once again actually led by folks who actually like being American…and who have the strength of character to want to get respect the old fashioned way…they would earn it.
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:06 pm 70. fireyourguns:David S:
I don’t think it is likely that much of Obama’s base will turn on him. Certainly there is a mass of people on the left who will be disappointed if escalation is the way Obama chooses to proceed, but there is a huge difference between Bush and Obama when it comes to war fighting. Obama seems genuinely interested in making the best decision possible, with evidence to support it, and his deliberate and measured process ensures that his base cannot claim he is being reckless.
There will be dissent against whatever choice Obama makes, and there is no way to know going forward if his choice is the best available or not – history does not allow us the luxury of studying hypotheticals.
The claim that 40,000 troops will somehow magically create the change needed in Afghanistan is hopelessly naive. Obama’s pursuit of a workable strategy for victory is the best way forward – precipitous escalation is meaningless without an underlying strategy that can tie together all of the elements necessary for a stable and democratic Afghanistan to emerge from the wreckage of eight years of war.
Given the complete failure of the previous administration to square this circle, Obama’s task is clearly a difficult and thorny challenge – but the best way forward is not intuitively obvious, and the assumptions that underlie the call for a “surge” should be properly challenged and explored. Without a complete and thoughtful policy review, sending additional troops into harm’s way would be a crime – not as great a crime as the invasion of Iraq, but certainly a failure in the proper conduct of war.
Peace.
DS
—————-
You are a seriously flaming “sissy” in need of a good old fashioned wilderness camping trip… want to go? The fresh mountain air will help you get in touch with your missing inner masculinity. Heck, I’ll even let you clean the fish, and depending on your progress at manning up, might even let you fire one of my hoglegs! Whaddaya say, peacenik?
On second thought, forget it. Indoctrination seems to have rendered you incapable of survival without the handout of Govt. cheese. That makes you, and your trollish brethren that infest this site, hopeless libturds, I’m afraid!
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:11 pm 71. Now and Then:66. klrtz1:
“Has he ever chosen the riskier alternative . . . ”
Which is the riskier alternative?
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:14 pm 72. Eirik:In the very recent national elections in Norway, the socialists lost. But because the parties of the right could not agree to work together, the socialists are still in power. It is the politicians who select the members of the Nobel Committee. So guess if politics plays as big a role here as it does in selecting a Supreme Court judge in the U.S.
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:31 pm 73. ETAB:David S, heh – could you provide us with your military credentials, that enable you to come to the conclusion that aserting that ‘40,000 troops will create the change needed in Afghanistan’ -is NAIVE?
Gosh, darn, I didn’t know that you were in the military and had expertise in these matters. So, tell us, what evidence can you provide us, differing from that of Gen. McChrystal, that he’s naive? And that you are right? Hmm?
Oh, and while we’re at it, could you provide evidence for your conclusion that ‘Obama is genuinely interested in coming to the best decision possible’ – and that Bush was not interested in such ‘best decisions’? Evidence, please.
Oh, did you know, and I’ll bet you don’t..that Al Qaeda was operating in Iraq, and after the surge in Iraq was successful, and left Iraq as a constitutional democracy, the first in that area, (something to which you are indifferent) the Al Qaeda then moved into Afghanistan as their ‘new jihadic home’.
And if you think that the world can ever, ever, get rid of fundamental zealots, filled with utopian angst, whether it be religious, tribal or whatever angst..then, you are as naive as your Idol, Obama.
BC – the criticism of Obama’s receiving the Peace Award is being made by many, regardless of political filiation. The key concern is the denigration of the Award itself, which was originally meant to be given for the results (peace) of actual work carried out – not for the vapidity of sophist rhetoric. Admittedly, the Award was besmirched already by being given to such amoral opporunists as Kofi Annan,Arafat, Menchu and etc. But, giving it to someone for their words alone, words which are not connected to any action..that is indeed a First Time low standard.
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:38 pm 74. Marie claude:“He has made the French look like hawks”
we were and still are hawks at our dimension
uh, then rather say he opened your eyes, cuz they were blurred by the big beam of invincibility you had in them : too big to fail !
Oct 11, 2009 - 1:43 pm 75. biblio44:Boy, this prize really is driving the right crazy.
Oct 11, 2009 - 2:12 pm 76. Anonymous:43. David S:
“Obama seems genuinely interested in making the best decision possible…”
“and there is no way to know going forward if his choice is the best available or not…”
“Obama’s pursuit of a workable strategy for victory is the best way forward…”
“Obama’s task is clearly a difficult and thorny challenge – but the best way forward is not intuitively obvious…”
Garbage in via Axelrod. Garbage out multiplied via his army of brain damaged trolls, each one repeating the same inane statement every 4-5 lines with minor (have it both ways) variations. The power of combinatorics.
Oct 11, 2009 - 2:18 pm 77. TLM:43. David S:
“Obama seems genuinely interested in making the best decision possible…”
“and there is no way to know going forward if his choice is the best available or not…”
“Obama’s pursuit of a workable strategy for victory is the best way forward…”
“Obama’s task is clearly a difficult and thorny challenge – but the best way forward is not intuitively obvious…”
Garbage in via Axelrod. Garbage out multiplied via his army of brain damaged trolls, each one repeating the same inane statement every 4-5 lines with minor (have it both ways) variations. The power of combinatorics.
Oct 11, 2009 - 2:19 pm 78. stuart williamson:Dr. Hanson: Among the best of your always excellent articles. You really skewered the self-congratulatory Norwegians, like the Saudis, arrogant in wealth that owes nothing to their minds or efforts.
The Nobel Prize for Peace has become sort of the Oscar for Performance most pleasing to the membership of the U.N. We conservatives contemptuously dismiss the award. For Obama, it is evidence that he is accepted abroad as a world leader.
As for “The Right Thing”, I think you define the options accurately. He truly does perceive himself as potential Supreme Chairman of a Global Socialist Union and will play to the approval of the UN membership as well as to his boutique socialist-Democrats base. His cover is being blown to the point where he might as well go full bore on his true hard-case Stalinist agenda and get it implemented while he still has control of the Congress. I would say #2, weighted to #1.
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:00 pm 79. ic:Bush is still the most powerful man. He won 3 Nobel prizes for Americans: 1. Bush refused Koyoto, Gore was awarded the Peace Prize to high light the Eurocrats’ disapproval of Bush, 2. Carter was awarded the prize for criticizing Bush’s war policies on foreign soil, 3. Obama was awarded the prize for not being Bush.
Bush is under the Eurocrats’ skin, inside their minds, making them do the most ridiculous things, discrediting their pretentious “moral superiority”.
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:26 pm 80. SukieTawdry:We should pay close attention to Norway as it has much it can teach us. Norwegians once had hard-scrabble existences in which individuals worked mightily merely to survive. Now they have lives if not of luxury, at least of ease. Some years back before the big strike in the North Sea oil fields, government officials were very concerned because their oil and oil revenue were dwindling and would soon peter out. They were concerned because to their chagrin (and embarrassment since they surely could have found ways of distributing the bounty that didn’t pave the way for people to become slovens and drones), the work ethic had been bred out of the citizenry in just two generations. Now, this is a lesson we ourselves should have learned from the welfare state but apparently didn’t. Perhaps we can learn it instead from the Norwegians. I mean, who in their right mind would want to emulate them, right?
Back on topic, I’m pretty sure Obama will go for option (2). Yes, I’m almost certain of it. It’s why he dithers so now.
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:36 pm 81. Paul M Hupf:The Nobel medal will create in the President an unresolvable conflict. Is he the President of the United States of America, sworn to “faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and…to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Art 2. Sec 1); or is he now a citizen of the world, a Nobel laureate, bent on accomodating other leaders (no matter what their background or intention may be) so long as they promise peace, to the detriment of the United States and its residents, and insult to the men and women of the armed forces of this country, many of whom died, or sustained grave injury, in the cause of freedom from tyranny. For shame, Mr President, for shame! You have been treated as a fool.
Oct 11, 2009 - 3:42 pm 82. Koblog:Renaming the Nobel Peace Prize “The Obama Prize” is perfect.
Let it be so. It speaks volumes about the Nobel committee and Obama himself: both are vacuous suits.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:00 pm 83. deguello:You need to ask,Dr. Hanson?how about tertiary syphillis acquired at NAMBLA-sponsored sex tours of thailand.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:07 pm 84. Moogie:#66 klrtz1: “No way does Barack Obama have that kind of guts. Has he ever chosen the riskier alternative in any major decision?”
Better question: Has he ever made a decision? Voting “present” is not making a decision. His puppet master had better get on the ball and spur him onto doing something. What I’m wondering is this: what’s he waiting for?
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:16 pm 85. Now and Then:Hey, 2.764534231 million people marched on washington DC today in support of gay rights!
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:44 pm 86. Al and Bill:As I have noted to others in the past couple of days, since the Nobel Peace Prize committee is made up of members of the Norwegian Parliament, the Prize has become Norway`s way of becoming a voice in world politics.
Norway is a far, out of the way, small country in the world and their politicians must feel slighted for no one listening to their lofty, intellectual Nordic liberal wisdom. Hence they use the Nobel Peace Prize as their only way to inject their politics onto the world stage.
Instead of calling it the the `Nobel Peace Prize`, they should change the name to the `Norwegian Politics Prize´, given the person or group who most reflects the political opinion of the Norwegian parliament.
Oct 11, 2009 - 4:52 pm 87. Stev:Don’t be too critical of the Norwegian people. At least, not the ordinary ones who live outside Oslo. And especially not to their past actions, particularly in WWII. (Vidkun Quisling excluded) I spent a couple of weeks in Norway last summer and stumbled across a couple of things that, as far as my limited view is concerned, are totally overlooked and underappreciated. First was a small dome-shaped granite memorial on the Bergen waterfront with the names of 515 merchant seamen (civilian, not military) ALL FROM BERGEN, who lost their lives during WWII. The other was a very small, cramped WWII museum in the town of Svolvaer (in the Lofotens) that memorialized the sacrifices of the Norwegian military during that war. It was considerable, considering the war machine they were up against, and the fact that they were “sold out” by the grandparents of the people who gave Obama the prize.
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:13 pm 88. D Foster:Think of it this way: Who would get the Nobel Prize if the people of Hollywood made the selection?
We have to compare the style of Bush to Obama in making Combat deployment decisions. Bush appeard to be more at ease with the Generals and their plans. And he trusted these Commanding Generals.
Obama appears to be lost and does not trust the Combat Generals like McChrystal and Paterus. These men are “Combat” Officers.
And, they will do everything to support the American Infantry Combat Soldier and Marine.
Watch for Obama to make a decison of Afganistan that will make no large impact with his followers. That means not enough of anything. For sure, he will not give the okay for 40,000 additional troops.
“Seek out the enemy, and engage”
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:33 pm 89. Donna V.:biblio44, you’re not too bright, are you?
Geez, the Olympic fiasco last weekend and the PP this weekend, I’m starting to think bambi has a secret plan to cheer us up with “Laff Riot of the Week.”
I’ve noticed the lefty trolls have studiously averted their eyes from any mention of liberals who think the prize is a crock.
The cognitive dissonance caused by SNL’s mockery and the Friedman quote above must indeed be painful. My, I feel so sorry for them.
Heh.
Oct 11, 2009 - 5:47 pm 90. daniel:No offense, but this article shows how little you know about Norway. Not only is your premise that Norway is the ‘Hollywood’ country wrong, it’s just dumb. It’s like saying that the United States is defined by the Democratic party and the likes of the ultra-libs, like Nancy Pelosi. Generalizations like those are almost always wrong, but show a basic lack of understanding of the people and their culture.
Don’t misunderstand me, I think the decision to give this award to President Obama politically motivated, but it violates the intentions of the award, and is a slap in the face of those who have actually WORKED for peace in the world. But if Norway is so insignificant of a country, and only live up there in their little ‘utopia bubble’, why do we care about the awards they present?
Of course the award going to President Obama is ridiculous, but really people, do we have to pick at every little thing. Lets stop pointing our fingers at other people’s faults and sins, and be about looking after our own. If we want to see change, we have start with ourselves and stop worrying about what awards some small country in northern Europe decides to give out.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:57 pm 91. myth buster:Too bad McCrystal wasn’t genre savvy enough to ask for 80,000 troops, so that when Obama inevitably cuts the number in half, he’d still get the 40,000 troops he actually wanted.
Oct 11, 2009 - 6:57 pm 92. Marina:“Norway is, in other words, the Hollywood nation.”
Exactly. And the Nobel Prize is just like “Oscar” now: no matter how you suck, if you’re with us, we’ll award you.
mmm mmm mmm Barack Hussein Polanski
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:05 pm 93. Michael Lonie:“Onward, Christian victims.
(Helpful Hint from the Ranks of God’s Militia: If you cut out the pages of your Bible in the shape of a gun, you can fit a nice little .380 in there. Sweet!)”
Here is a bit of advice, #26 Now and Then. When you are yourself an obnoxious bigot you should not go around calling others bigots.
#41 Sam,
I agree that we cannot catalyze democracy in Afghanistan. What we could do, and I think should do, is catalyze consensual government. These are not necessarily the same things. Consensual government in Muslim countries will look different from that in Western ones, as it does look somewhat different in Japan than in the USA. I do not have space here to go much further, but I would suggest a Loya Jirga there which would be made up of the most powerful men, rather than a democratically elected legislature. The members would be chosen by whatever means their tribes considered suitable. Such an assembly would then advise an elected President. The central government would carry out foriegn affairs and coordinate national security with a small army, relying on tribal militias for the rest. It would be sort of like the original House of Lords in England, a collection of the most powerful men helping the king (executive) rule the country. The Afghans should be encouraged to adapt consensual government to their culture, their ideas of how it should run, not strictly follow Western models. There will be much internecene violence I suppose, but it is Afghanistan after all.
But we cannot just give up, relying on John Derbyshire’s soundbite strategy “Rubble causes no trouble.” The rubble of Afghanistan after the Soviet pull-out caused us considerable trouble in the end. The rubble of Somalia is cousing us trouble now. Rubble is the preferred environment of the Islamists, so much so that they create it depiberately when they rule a place. Look at Gaza, where Hamas, an offshoot of the original Islamist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood (Sayid Qtub was a member), has made a sewer of the place. Afghanistan is one front in a multi-front war, and if we pull out from there we will lose Pakistan too.
#57
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:39 pm 94. Robert Winkler Burke:It’s true that the Nobel Committee has given Obama what many would consider a bribe to act as they wish. They have not, I think, taken into account what it means to say that Obama is a Chicago politician. It’s true that virtually all Chicago pols are bribable. It is equally true, however, that they are not honest politicians: once bought they do not stay bought. When decision time comes Obama will do what he considers to be in his own, personal political interests of the moment no matter what the Nobel Committee, or anybody else, wishes for.
For once, Peggy “Equivanonon” Noonan, has decidedly taken a strong stance on the side of history. Hurray for her post: “A Wicked and Ignorant Award”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703746604574464083239280914.html
My favorite line: “…we kept no territory, as they say, beyond the graves where our soldiers lie…”
We can forgive her support of Obame(not), after such Reaganesque-found strength. May she keep it.
Oct 11, 2009 - 7:49 pm 95. TLM:Now and Then:
66. klrtz1:
‘”Has he ever chosen the riskier alternative . . . ”’
“Which is the riskier alternative?”
If you don’t know, re-read the post. It should be pretty clear to you on one or two more tries. At any rate, for you and others this bears repeating:
“The Norwegians got at least one thing right. Obama is no Bush.”
When you look like a tool, people just naturally wanna’ use you. Can’t blame the Norwegians for trying. Obama could have taken his name off their list months ago. Why run the risk that he might be awarded the prize? For nothing. Nada. Zip. Our boy-king is no longer in charge of his own ego trip.
Oct 11, 2009 - 8:32 pm 96. Exactly!:In a world of instant communications via the internet and satellite, Norway is a dial-up with a party line.
Accordingly … insignificant, as is the Nobel “prize” for anything.
And Norway’s reward for largess and slackiness? The highest alcoholism rate in the world.
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:25 pm 97. Lavaux:Easy on the Norskies – they don’t know any better. All their lives, from state-run day cares to state-run universities to state-run media to state-run church graveyards, they get fed the socialist bill of goods. There is little if no escape from this fantasy land indoctrination.
Example: I spent an hour once trying to explain to a Norskie friend that her “paid vacation” was paid for by her, i.e. that her employer was not paying her to go on vacation. She just couldn’t understand this. I’ve also expended ridiculous volumes of hot air trying to explain to certain Swedes that their universities are not free – someone is paying the salaries of the professors and staff because they’re not working for free. They usually don’t understand this, either, saying “Well, it’s free for me.”
“It’s free for me,” or “it’s paid for me,” is how the Norskies (and indeed all entitlement junkies) see life, including international relations and their own security. That’s why they accord no value to those who do the paying for their security, i.e. America and American taxpayers. Indeed, a Norskie High Poobah of UN (Jan Egeland) recently complained that American taxpayers don’t pay enough to the UN to help the poor, and indeed want to pay more. Well, it’s free for him if it’s paid for by us.
Therefore, I propose that we start exacting a pound of flesh for every pound of freedom and security we deliver to the Norskies, perhaps in the form of crude oil. If they pay, we tell them that they’re on their own. How about that?
Oct 11, 2009 - 9:27 pm 98. Gaffe Prices:It’s the Roman decadence, Chicago Style. Its like a bad Elvis movie. The Pax Obama: The oceans will recede, and the dead shall vote again. And now its time for the Limbo contest: How low can you go? Surely 0bama is the odds-on favorite. Those haters on the Right wing™ just hate it cause 0bama wins everything. And someday, when the world is his, the right wing will really hate it. And then his wife will say- “Peel It.”
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:05 pm 99. TG:n&t #31 says:”Article #7 on how much you all DON’T care about what the world thinks re: the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Yes, we do care. But, the best thing here is that angry trolls like you care about what we say, and what PJM writers write. You hate it all, but keep on reading. nat, you can’t help yourself. You can’t stop!
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:22 pm 100. Ruebacca:The democrats problem with the military is they can’t make money on it. Dems only send money into things that have kickbacks to them. Like the UAW for example.
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:40 pm 101. crunch crunch:Come on guys. I think McCain has this one right. This is an honor for our country and we should stop letting it just cause further division at a time when our country should be standing together.
If we republicans can’t think of anything better to do than to screech and scream and pick holes and name-call; if we can’t think of anything better to do than to be the “we hate Obama” party, then we are going to lose again at the ballot box.
We have a situation where we have been ousted from power for governing badly. The way to get back into power is to show that we can govern well. Just trying to obstruct Obama from getting anything done is counter productive. It will not help us succeed, it will not help our country succeed. The country needs to move forward on many fronts. Our country can’t afford to have a do-nothing government now. EVEN if some of our successes may be credited to the dems. We have to work together and put this type of petty small minded bitterness behind us.
God Bless
Oct 11, 2009 - 11:41 pm 102. seansarto:Though not exactly of Viking origins, Ibn Fadlan’s famous account of a Rus funeral on the Volga details the episode of a slave-girl who is first ceremoniously lied to and decieved with all manners of high exaltations before she is gang raped, murdered and her body is cremated with the deceased and his trappings. Timothy Taylor argues in his book, “The Buried Soul: How Humans Invented Death” that the girl’s death was not a human sacrifice but a ritual killing in which, unbeknownest to Ibn Fadlan, the Rus were actually enacting an Odinic ceremony whose purpose was to annihilate her soul as an act of scapegoating.
“Nobel Peace Prize”..hehehehe…
Oct 12, 2009 - 1:16 am 103. carla:OBAMA FAVORITE IN MISS AMERICA COMPETITION.
Oct 12, 2009 - 2:30 am 104. Pops in Vienna:Amen #97 “Lavaux”, amen!
Oct 12, 2009 - 5:02 am 105. Now and Then:95. TLM:
No, it’s not obvious. Which is risker for Obama, sending in more troops or not sending in more troops?
That’s a pretty simple question.
Oct 12, 2009 - 5:55 am 106. Now and Then:93. Michael Lonie:
“Here is a bit of advice, #26 Now and Then. When you are yourself an obnoxious bigot you should not go around calling others bigots.”
Bigoted against who? Christians? Gun owners? Bible publishers? Victims? Phony Christians?
Oct 12, 2009 - 5:57 am 107. Now and Then:83. deguello:
“You need to ask,Dr. Hanson?how about tertiary syphillis acquired at NAMBLA-sponsored sex tours of thailand.”
If you’re that concerned, you should just go to a doctor. It’s probably nothing, Of Guello.
Oct 12, 2009 - 5:59 am 108. Paul -Indiana:I think the poor judgement is a side effect of eating Lutefisk.
Oct 12, 2009 - 6:53 am 109. blotto:DS:”Obama’s pursuit of a workable strategy for victory is the best way forward…”
And just what would that strategy be? If you really do believe in the things you say, your life must have been miserable until O got selected, eh? How did you come to this state of being?
Oct 12, 2009 - 7:38 am 110. nitpicker:Dr. Hanson,
A splendid article and, mostly, spot on.
I would like to point out that Norway is neither well endowed with minerals, nor especially rich in timber.
Geologically, Norway sits on the Baltic Shield, a 4 billion year old rock formation and mostly granite. There are some irrelevant pockets of silver around Kongsberg and copper around Roeros, but these meager deposists have not been mined for over a hundred years.
Timber isn’t that plentiful either. 78% of Norway is considered mountainous and trees only grow up to about 500 meters (~1,500 feet) above sea level in the southern part of the country, and there are no forests at all above the arctic circle.
Prior to the discovery of oil in the North Sea in the 1970’s, Norway’s main industries were fishing, shipping and energy intensive industries (fertilizers, aluminium smelting, etc.) due to plentiful and cheap hydroelectric power.
Oct 12, 2009 - 8:14 am 111. HARRY:I have served with a lot of Norwegian military officers and have deployed to Norway 8 times over the past 30 years.
The Norwegians have always had a strong socialist element in their contries, and their media elites dominate the airwaves as they do in most Western European countries.
But I am not going to overthrow my Norwegian friends just because of a few Oslo leftists. The Norwegian people I know remember what it was like to be occupied for five ears and to hear about how grandparents were tortured by the Gestapo.
The Norwegians fought bravely for the Allies in WWII and are staunch supporters of NATO. Norwegian forces serve in Afghanistan.
I normally devour every word Dr. Hanson (probably a Norske himself) has to say, but in failing to realize that Eropean countries are as unrepresented by their elites as we are, Vic, this article strikes me as unreflective and knee-jerk. I am very disappointed.
Semper Fi, Telemark Battalion!
Oct 12, 2009 - 8:31 am 112. Marie Claude:“Who is Thorbjorn Jagland? Obama’s Nobel patron is a long-time leader of Socialist International”
http://www.northstarnational.com/2009/10/10/thorbjorn-jagland-obamas-nobel-patron-long-time-leader-socialist-international/
Oct 12, 2009 - 8:52 am 113. Войска ПВО:7. vivo writes:
VDH gets another Noble (not Nobel) Prize for Overanalyzing and Discursiveness.FIFY, dummy.
Oct 12, 2009 - 9:25 am 114. The Road Less Traveled:There are no sides, and many of the politicians in Washington have the same connections and the same debts owed no matter what party they claim.
Oct 12, 2009 - 10:12 am 115. David H:Look up a speech President George Sr. made and the speech Obama made in Germany and listen to how similar they are as they speak on “New World Order”.
They put on a show, and keep the voters arguing and fighting with each other, but I believe many of them work for the same bankers even though they claim different parties and act out their scripts written by speechwriters.
It is nothing but a big show in Washington and with the Media, and there is not a lot of difference in the Politicians and the Circus.
I have no trust for any politicians, except maybe one, or two of them and I am looking at them with a cocked head and a suspicious eye right now.
I truly believe I am right and all people arguing over conservative and liberal parties are confused about who is deceiving them, because we have sides and we have morals, but most politicians might as well be living in Brothels with a Madame or a pimp. They all do have pimps of some kind telling them what to do and say.
“It is not easy, and a lot harder than campaigning. But that’s what Presidents do—they are trashed while they are in office, and judged fairly only when they are retired or beyond.” -VDH
I am no scholar, but I recall that Lincoln was *not* a very popular president during his tenure, and that the Emancipation Proclomation was seen by some as a political device.
If Obama claims Lincoln as some kindred spirit, you’d think Obama would flash some mote of courage that would fly in the face of public opinion (well, except for Obamacare.)
Oct 12, 2009 - 10:42 am 116. David S:@73. ETAB:
heh – could you provide us with your military credentials, that enable you to come to the conclusion that aserting that ‘40,000 troops will create the change needed in Afghanistan’ -is NAIVE?
As I stated above: “precipitous escalation is meaningless without an underlying strategy”. This is not a controversial statement. Here’s what I said about the 40,000 troops:
I find it interesting that you misquote me – it’s not like it was that hard to find the original post above.
Gosh, darn, I didn’t know that you were in the military and had expertise in these matters. So, tell us, what evidence can you provide us, differing from that of Gen. McChrystal, that he’s naive? And that you are right? Hmm?
It doesn’t take military expertise to recognize that a strategy is needed. I never claimed McChrystal was naive – in fact, I think he is a rather shrewd operator, and probably means well in putting pressure on Obama. He truly believes that more troops are needed to implement his preferred plan, and that his plan is the best option. But it is not his job to make this decision, and his comments are out of line. He’s not the Chief.
Oh, and while we’re at it, could you provide evidence for your conclusion that ‘Obama is genuinely interested in coming to the best decision possible’ – and that Bush was not interested in such ‘best decisions’? Evidence, please.
That would be the intelligence and rush to war in Iraq. Next?
Oh, did you know, and I’ll bet you don’t..that Al Qaeda was operating in Iraq, and after the surge in Iraq was successful, and left Iraq as a constitutional democracy, the first in that area, (something to which you are indifferent) the Al Qaeda then moved into Afghanistan as their ‘new jihadic home’.
WMD, Al Qaeda – the reasons offered for going to war in Iraq change with the weather, but they are all lies. Taking down the Iraqi government cost trillions of American dollars, and tens of thousands of innocent lives have been lost in the conflict. It has done nothing to make America safer.
And if you think that the world can ever, ever, get rid of fundamental zealots, filled with utopian angst, whether it be religious, tribal or whatever angst..then, you are as naive as your Idol, Obama.
I don’t think we can get rid of fundamentalist zealots – and I don’t think perpetual war is going to make them less dangerous. I just think the fundamentalist zealots in the USA are a greater threat to US security than those in Afghanistan.
Peace.
DS
Oct 12, 2009 - 12:32 pm 117. Fred J Harris:I am developing a terrible conviction that the insane yet firmly held beliefs found in the left are a harbinger of a coming storm. On issue after issue we find the same gerbil like mass faith.
Oct 12, 2009 - 12:34 pm 118. Faust:Those same dead eyes staring out as the idiocy rolls from their lips.
Too bad they don’t have an antithetical Nobel “War” Prize. There would be no shortage of eligible recipients in the previous administration. No doubt the committee will think twice about bestowing future awards on citizens from a nation of nincompoops. Hectoring the Norwegians for bestowing a Peace Prize seems a little beyond the pale. How dare them not consult with the Conservative American Media conglomerates… What a slap. And so soon after being rebuffed by the Olympic Committee. Oh no….. thats right! We didn’t want those Olympics anyway. Might have made Obama look good.
Oct 12, 2009 - 2:15 pm 119. ER White:My take:
http://www.bloggybayou.com/2009/10/danger-idiots-and-their-insidious.html
Cheers
Oct 12, 2009 - 4:08 pm 120. David W. Lincoln:ER White
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we see this: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1255204781444&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
You see, Agent Zero and his zombies are not omnipotent. They can be stood up to, thereby showing them as irrelevant as bikinis in a blizzard. So, I issue this challenge yet again: Who has the cojones to declare a US government in exile? For what good can come from the head of the zombies, namely the disciple of Wright & Ayers.
Oct 12, 2009 - 5:38 pm 121. arthur:the republicans need a better idea than just being anti-obama. guess who you sound like? the anti-bush liberals! yep, exactly. Bush was re-elected and Obama will be too.
Oct 12, 2009 - 6:32 pm 122. Norse Proverb:A coward thinks he will live forever
Oct 12, 2009 - 8:31 pm 123. Rudemeister:If only he can shun warfare.
I am a Dutch born naturalized American citizen ex-pat living in Germany right now. I do alot of business in Scandinavia. All the Northern Europeans for the most part are emotionally attached to BHO. I didn’t vote for him, though most of my colleagues here would not believe that. I was not a big W fan either. W was a drunken sailor with regard to spending our tax dollars too. It is an irrational affection they have for this empty suit, BHO. Lutefisk is more popular in teh US than it is in Norway and it stinks pretty bad. I like fish too. Yech.
The leftists in Norway are the ones that get the most press. The American press is equally enamored of these goofballs. But much of what VDH says is true.
I aam at a loss to explain he misplaced idolatry for BHO. I think he may end up making Jimy carter look like a statesman. Ugh.
Oct 13, 2009 - 6:41 am 124. blotto:DS:”I just think the fundamentalist zealots in the USA are a greater threat to US security than those in Afghanistan.”
And with this piece of sophistry promulgated by a mind-numbed leftist is all we need to know about the depth of his hatred for America and the reasons why debating this type of person is indeed, ridiculous and useless.
Oct 13, 2009 - 7:25 am 125. Ron Kean:The surge was a risky strategy in Iraq…un-tested and un-proven. Then they proceeded with the surge and it caused us to win the war. Much was learned from the experience.
Now General McCrystal wants to implement the proven successful strategy and Obama dithers. It seems like the President chooses to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Saddam caused disruption, death and continued to pose a threat to the civilized world. He was building back political strength by bribing heads of state through the UN. Heads of state hated Bush because he stopped the kickbacks and ended the illegal flow of oil money.
Being the leader (for now) of the civilized world, the US is safer without him.
Oct 13, 2009 - 7:49 am 126. Tollen:Dr Hanson
Your article perfectly describes Norwegian society, if I did not know differently, I would have thought you lived there. I my eyes, you have also established yourself as a superior military historian.
The declining development of Norwegian society since oil started flowing has yet to be mesured. I liken it to the escalation of our own wellfare program, except that we (in the US)are not a population of “blue-eyed” Arabs, today 25% to 30% of the workforce in Norway receives state benefits, not needing to work.
When one grows up with the spoon of wellfare goodies in ones mouth, how can one assess and measure society and people anywhere without the prejudice of “cradle to grave” attitudes? Our “hope and change” president received from the Peace Prize committee an award for directing US society toward “cradle to grave” non-violent society, the way I see it, with the backing of established Norwegian cradle to grave society. One has to remember, however, that Norway is now comparative to ACORN on crack.
Thank you!
Oct 13, 2009 - 7:55 am 127. IcePilot:Norwegian by Heritage
As a proud descendant* of Vikings, a few thoughts regarding Norway,
1. The Nobel Peace prize is awarded by 5 members of a left-of-center Norwegian government. How should Norwegians view America if a Norwegian Prime Minister was awarded a prize by David Axelrod and 4 cronies (or Karl Rove). 5 politicians do not a country make.
2. Norway’s generous social benefits are possible due, not just to North Sea oil (that’s running out), but a strong work ethic.
3. Norway (after the United Kingdom) is one of America’s strongest allies – US and UK submarine operations in the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans hinge upon the strength of this bond.
* along with many folks who trace their roots to Normandy, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Russia, etc.
Oct 13, 2009 - 12:28 pm 128. TLM:Now and Then:
“No, it’s not obvious. Which is risker for Obama, sending in more troops or not sending in more troops?
That’s a pretty simple question…”
With a pretty simple answer. Since Viet Nam, it’s always been riskier for a president, or a European national leader, to send in more troops. That was the obvious (and correct, IMO) implication of klrtz1’s post.
Oct 13, 2009 - 3:23 pm 129. Snowbunnie:Ah, Norway knows what it is doing with it’s now meanignless prizes. They and others, as VDH has said, have an agenda at work and it does not bode well for the USA.
Oct 13, 2009 - 10:39 pm 130. David S:Obama IS their man in Washington, NOT ours.
If we did not know it before, we certainly know it now. And now that we do know it we know what we face and what we have to do to restore liberty and freedom to our country. Mr. Obama has a decision to make and whether he picks 1,2 or 3 will determine his fate as a poltician.
What we do will determine the future of our country. 2010 is not that far away when you consider the job that needs to be done.
@124. blotto:
DS:”I just think the fundamentalist zealots in the USA are a greater threat to US security than those in Afghanistan.”
And with this piece of sophistry promulgated by a mind-numbed leftist is all we need to know about the depth of his hatred for America and the reasons why debating this type of person is indeed, ridiculous and useless.
So you have no rebuttal. My concern about fundamentalist zealots in the USA makes me an America hating, mind-numbed leftist. Interesting.
Maybe you didn’t notice that fundamentalist zealots in the USA perpetrated a rather horrendous crime a little over eight years ago? Are you really so obsessed with partisanship that you can’t recognize the threat of home grown terror?
Stop the knee jerking for a second and think about it.
Peace.
DS
Oct 14, 2009 - 10:13 am 131. When Falls the Coliseum » SATAN RULES! The shocking true story behind Obama’s Nobel win:[...] for electing someone all right-thinking Norwegians approve of? Victor Davis Hanson offered this elegant piece, anatomizing social democratic Norway and its pathologies. However the one factor which nobody has [...]
Oct 14, 2009 - 10:21 am 132. Jerry in Detroit:I’m not so ready to shame Norway for selling iron to the Third Reich when Winchester sold 8mm Mauser ammunition to the Third Reich up to the day they rolled into Poland. I have a sample in my collection.
Oct 14, 2009 - 12:05 pm 133. Daily Right 10/13/09 « The Quantum Conservative:[...] *Nobelitics, by Victor Davis Hanson. [...]
Oct 14, 2009 - 1:52 pm 134. poplicola:The brave Norwegians see Poland and other countries sold out to Russia and throw a Nobel Prize to the looter-in-chief, buying themselves a few years of autonomy.
They don’t yet know that everyone, everyone goes under Obama’s bus sooner or later.
Oct 15, 2009 - 2:22 am 135. deguello:Finally! The world’s first affirmative action Nobel Prize!
Oct 16, 2009 - 11:34 am 136. George brouxhon:Nobel prizes for science are generally well deserved, but Nobel prize for peace is an entirely different matter. Kissinger received the prize after he engineered the Vietnam War, which killed over 3 million people and 500,000 American troops; his Vietnamese counterpart refused to accept the prize. Former Israeli terrorists who killed both British and American civilians, namely Menachen Begin, Itzak Rabin not only became prime ministers of their nations, but also received the Nobel prize for peace, together with Arafat whilst the war is still going on in the Holy Land. All of them should have realistically face a life in prison as they all participated in war crimes.
Oct 30, 2009 - 4:19 am